Moderate drinking no more dangerous than driving?

Recently the UK government softened the tone of their new health guidelines in respect to alcohol intake. This was in contrast to a couple of years ago when Health officials were accused of going too far in their advice. In the past the guidelines stressed that any amount of alcohol consumption carried some risk but the new guidelines now suggest that moderate drinking is no more of a health hazard than driving, or any other “regular or routine activity”.

Safe drinking levels have been pared back by a third, being lowered from 21 units to 14 units per week, which is around 10 small glasses of wine or 6 pints of beer. Also, for the first time levels have been set at the same point for both sexes, however do advise that women over 55 should drink less.

The Portman Group, the industry body that promotes responsible drinking in the UK, has said that the new suggested limits indicate that drinking is no more hazardous to your health that many daily activities, such as driving.

This in complete contrast to the UK’s Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, who had earlier warned that drinking even one glass of wine could trigger cancer, prompting her to warn that everyone should abstain from alcohol completely.

For some this will be good news, but for others the less welcome news is that the evidence of alcohol, such as red wine, being beneficial for health “is considered less strong than it was”.

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